Improvement sn reefing fore and aft sails



L. NOBDEN.

Beefing Fare and Aft Sails.

N0- 141,8H. PatentedAugustl2,1873.

77557226; 2; p h 54W! UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIOE.

LAWRENCE NORDEN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT EN REEFING FORE AND AFT SAILS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 141,811, dated August 12, 1873; application filed January 24, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAWRENCE NORDEN, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Reefing Fore and Aft Sails, of which the following is a specification:

The object of my invention is to enable fore and aft sails to be reefed from the deck of a vessel much more quickly and safely than they can be reefed in the usual manner and I accomplish this object by reeling the sail against the mast instead of upon the boom, as plainly shown in the general elevation, Figure 1, and enlarged views, Figs. 2 and 3, of the accompanying drawing, recfing-brails a a being employed, which extend on both sides of the sail from a reef-band, b, on the latter to blocks or eyes d on the mast, and thence to the deck of the vessel, from which point the whole number of brails can be so operated as to drawin the sail and reef it against the mast, after which they may be secured to cleats on the latter.

Myinvention can be used in connection with the try-sails, fore-spencers, or main sails of steam-ships, barks, or other Vessels which carry standing gafts, the sliding hoops 6 being arranged upon the latter instead of on the mast, where they are much in the way, the sail being simply looped to the said mast, as shown at f. The reef-band I), through which the brails a pass from one side of the sail to the other, is strengthened by a wire or other rope, g, which I havetermed atraveling jackstay, and which lies along the mast when the sail is reefed.

The object in having the brails at both sides of the sail is to prevent the wind from filling the latter during the operation of reefing, and to enable the sail to be properly drawn in and confin ed in folds against the mast, as illustrated in Fig. 2. v

I have shown but one reef-band and set of brails, but as many may be employed as the size of the sail demands.

The sail may be strengthened by triangular clews h at the corners and at the upper and lower ends of the reef-bands.

For very heavy sails I propose to facilitate the sliding of the same upon the gaff by adapting anti-friction rollers arranged within the hoops c to the upper side of the said gafi'.

In carrying out my invention reef-tackle i is to be used at the bottom of the sail, and the ordinary out-haul and down-haul k at the top of the same.

I claim as my invention- The combination, substantially as described, with a fore and aft sail and mast, of brails a for reefing the said sail against the mast from the deck of the vessel.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. 4

L. NORDEN.

Witnesses: WM. A. STEEL,

HUBERT HowsoN. 

